With an of####ay today before heading into Philadelphia for an interleague matchup with the Phillies, here are some news and notes from around Red Sox Nation today.

First baseman J.T. Snow has requested a trade according to the Hartford Courant. This is somewhat understandable because no one expected Kevin Youkilis to perform this well defensively at first base. Due to that, Snow just hasn’t been getting the at-bat’s he thought he would receive this season.

Snow says he would like to be traded to a contender, and I think the best trading partner in this case is the Chicago Cubs. While not a contender right now, they have activated Kerry Wood from the disabled list and Mark Prior shouldn’t be far behind. With Derek Lee still out with a wrist injury, the Cubs are in the market for a first base fix, and Snow fits the bill. The Red Sox could probably get a prospect or two out of the deal, perhaps one good one if they agree to foot the bill for the salary. Other potential landing spots could be San Francisco, where Snow won four consecutive Gold Gloves from 1997 to 2000. Atlanta could be another possible landing spot, where Adam LaRoche is hitting .233 thus far this season.

The Red Sox are free to make this move with the offseason acquisition of Hee Seop Choi off waivers from Los Angeles. Choi is hitting .273 with 3 HR, 16 RBI and an .854 OPS in 30 games with AAA Pawtucket this season.

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In last night’s 4-3 loss to Baltimore, Willie Harris was caught stealing second with two outs that ended the game. The Red Sox had already scored twice in the ninth inning, courtesy of a two-run David Ortiz home run. When I saw the play, I was convinced Harris was safe, but it was a close enough play that you can’t really fault the umpire for the call he made. It was an aggressive call by Terry Francona and one that has paid off in the past.

But was it an aggressive call by Tito? After last night’s game, Harris acknowledged that he was given a hold sign from the dugout.

''I saw the hold sign the first pitch. I kind of thought maybe it was just for the first pitch. I told [manager Terry Francona] I screwed up." ~ Willie Harris

What does one make of this? Is Harris that dumb? Did he willfully ignore the call because he wanted to make the play? Either way, doubts are now cast on Harris as a late-innings pinch runner, at least for the next few games. This one move doesn’t erase the body of work to date, when it appears he hasn’t been as cavalier on the bases as he was last night, but it still makes you wonder if he’ll repeat the act in the future.

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I was going to do an entry here about the Red Sox pitching prospects down on the farm, but Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald already wrote a stellar piece on four of the young arms working their way through the Sox system in last Sunday’s paper. So in deference to her excellent piece, I will just provide the link for your reading pleasure. On call when Sox need to re-arm: Four top prospects working to be ready

Josh Beckett got his official welcome to Boston last night. It didn’t have anything to do with his performance on the field, however. Beckett was harangued by the media about a rumored blister on his finger thanks to a camera shot from NESN that showed Beckett and pitching coach Al Nipper.

“I’m pissed. I really am. This is (expletive) stupid. My dad calls me. He thinks I’m lying to him. That’s it. I’m done talking to you guys for the year.” ~ Beckett addressing Boston reporters.

Welcome to Boston, Josh.

*****

The Red Sox picked up a 6-5 win over Baltimore last night, their eighth win in their last 10 games and their 13th consecutive victory over the Orioles. The Sox showed some life on offense with home runs from Manny Ramirez and Trot Nixon (off a lefty no less), and a game-tying single from Mark Loretta and a go-ahead single from David Ortiz.

There was also good pitching out of the bullpen. Mike Timlin pitched two perfect innings and Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect ninth for his fourteenth save in fourteen chances. Mike Holtz also came out of the pen in relief in the sixth inning with a runner on first and after walking the first batter, he retired Brandon Fahey on a grounder to end the inning.

With all that going for the Sox, why am I sitting her today feeling nervous as hell?

Here’s why: 5.2 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3 HR. The preceding stat line belongs to last night’s starter, Curt Schilling. It’s the second straight start where Schilling has allowed three home runs and he’s also allowed 11 ER on 17 H in those two starts (13.2 IP). The problem can be traced directly to his inability to consistently put hitters away. For example, let’s examine last night’s fifth inning, where he surrendered four runs on two two-run home runs.

With one out, Schilling faced Nick Markakis and got ahead of him 1-2. Markakis then proceeded to foul off three of the next four pitches (with a ball mixed in) before singling to center. Schilling then allowed a home run to the next batter, Fahey, on a 1-0 count. Two batters later, Schilling gets ahead of Miguel Tejada 0-2 before allowing a double to deep right field. Schilling gets ahead of the next batter, Jay Gibbons, 0-2 before throwing balls on three of the next four pitches (with a foul mixed in). Gibbons then deposited Schilling’s 3-2 offering (and seventh pitch of the at-bat) into the seats for a go-ahead, two-run homer.

In all, Schilling gets ahead of three batters with two-strike counts, does not put any of them away and all three batters came around to score. This is a big problem. He seems to be missing his locations consistently, and according to Baseball Prospectus’ Will Carroll, this might be attributed to some base instability which causes him to shorten his stride and therefore leave pitches up in the strike zone. If that is so, it’s a situation that needs to be monitored, because if David Wells comes back anything less than good and Schilling is indeed hurt, this could be a big problem for the Sox down the road this season.

Some Quick Hitters today, back with a full-length feature tomorrow.

Wily Mo Pena continues to impress as a hitter. He was 2-for-5 with a HR and 4 RBI yesterday. Both hits came to the opposite field and it would appear that Pena is working on being a more complete hitter, not content to just swing from the heels every time he gets up to the plate. He is spraying the ball to all fields, and while his strikeouts haven’t disappeared, he is no longer the all-or-nothing hitter of previous reputation.

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Quickly, name the hitters with the top three qualifying averages on the Red Sox.

Time’s up. If you answered Mike Lowell (.331), Trot Nixon (.316) and Kevin Youkilis (.313), pat yourself on the back. If you also said “Wily Mo Pena is hitting .321, but is currently 17 plate appearances shy of qualifying,” then, well, you’re right but a weirdo for knowing that off the top of your head.

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Frankly, I’m worried about what the reports coming out of Boston were in regards to Josh Beckett leaving last night’s game after seven brilliant innings and 80 pitches. Shots of the dugout on NESN clearly showed Beckett and pitching coach Al Nipper examining the middle finger on his pitching hand, the same finger that landed him on the disabled list numerous times while with the Florida Marlins. There seems to be a lot of misdirections being run by manager Terry Francona and members of the Red Sox that are speaking to the media. This management group has seemed to adopt a “circle the wagons” approach whenever something is afoot (injury, contract signing, etc), so the fact that there isn’t a clear answer being provided about Beckett is sufficient enough proof, in my opinion, that something is up with his finger.

*****

Tonight, Curt Schilling goes for win number 200 against the team the Red Sox traded him to in 1988, the Baltimore Orioles. Schilling will be looking to bounce back from a rough start against the Yankees last Wednesday, when allowed 6 ER on 8 H (3 HR) and 2 BB with 5 SO over 5.0 IP in Boston’s 7-3 loss against the Yankees. Schilling is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA in two starts against Baltimore this season.

Opposing him will be Bruce Chen, who will be looking for his first win of the season. He is currently 0-4 with an 8.42 ERA in seven games (six starts). He also has a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of 1.90 thus far. Against the Sox this season, Chen is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two games (one start).

Who to Watch
Mark Loretta - 11-for-24 in his last five games with 1 2B and 5 RBI. 20-for-50 (.400) in the month of May (11 games) with 4 2B and 6 RBI.
David Ortiz - Trying to shake an extended slump. Is 10-for-43 in the month of May (11 games), with seven of those hits coming in two games against New York. Outside of those two games, he is 3-for-35. The Sox haven’t had any trouble scoring runs against Baltimore this season, but if the Sox are to have extended offensive success this year, they will need Ortiz’s bat to heat up.

We’re supposed to do this 15 more times?

Seriously, I don’t know if I can muster up the necessary emotions to do this 15 more times this season. Thankfully, there are 12 days before these two teams mix it up again. That should be sufficient time to recharge the batteries.

If you took this game and converted it into a script and shopped it around Hollywood, they would tell you to take a hike because it lacked realism. Great defense, poor defense. Stranded runners, timely hits. Good pitching, mediocre pitching. It was a study in opposites. Innings 1 through 6 reminded Red Sox fans of years past when Yankee Stadium was a house of horrors. Innings 7 through 9 showed Red Sox fans that the great Yankee mystique (and aura) seemed to be gone forever.

Anything and everything Red Sox fans hated about Yankee Stadium played out in the first six innings. Great defensive plays by Bubba Crosby (who robbed Mike Lowell of a home run) and Johnny Damon (who robbed Doug Mirabelli of at least a double) to name a few; a suspect umpiring call (third base ump Larry Vanover ruling a ball hit by Mark Loretta foul when it appeared to go over the third base bag); stranded runners (the Sox left the bases loaded three times and stranded 13 runners); and Houdini-esque escapes by a Yankees pitcher (Shawn Chacon surrendered five hits and five walks over 4.2 IP but only was charged with 1 ER). These were the types of games that, prior to the World Series win in 2004, Red Sox fans just knew were going to wind up as losses. It was a reminder of the way the big brother picked on and tormented the kid brother, keeping him close but eventually getting all the breaks needed to win.

Then a strange thing happened in the seventh inning. The breaks started to swing back the way of the Red Sox. With the Red Sox trailing 3-2 and a runner on first, Alex Gonzalez hit what appeared to be a harmless fly ball to right field. Bernie Williams, playing right due to a first-inning injury suffered by Hideki Matsui, misjudged the ball, which fell in fair and skipped into the seats for a ground rule double, putting runners at second and third with one out. Following a Kevin Youkilis lineout to second, Mark Loretta stepped up and drilled a ball to short, where Derek Jeter made a stop on the ball but had to leave his feet to do so. He didn’t have time to get to his feet before firing to first and his throw pulled Miguel Cairo off the bag. Cairo tried to swipe at Loretta, but the ball came out of Cairo’s glove and both runs came home to give the Red Sox a 4-3 lead. In years past, the Yankees, and especially Jeter, never made that kind of play in that spot. It was symbolic of the way things had shifted in this rivalry.

Another sign of the times in regards to this rivalry was the Sox ability to tack on an insurance run in the ninth inning against Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. Willie Harris got a one out single, took second on Gonzalez’ groundout and would score on a base hit from Youkilis. That gave the Sox a 5-3 lead, exposed another chink in Mo’s armor and, with Jonathan Papelbon on the mound, there was little doubt that the Sox would be leaving the Bronx with a series win.

The game took 3:59 to play, but after a while, no one was watching the clock. The drama on the field was more than enough to deflect from the fact that the game took nearly four episodes of 24 to finish. When the Yankees and Sox get together, everything else seems to stand still. Games like this run the gamut of every emotion you can find: anger, frustration, exasperation, elation, consternation… You name it, these games have it. 19 meetings a year, 19 mini-World Series events. I maintain that tonight was another example of why this isn’t just the best rivalry in baseball, hands down, but also the greatest rivalry in all of sports.

Looking Ahead…
Matt Clement (3-2, 5.35) makes his first start since earning a win against Toronto on May 4 when the Red Sox take on the Rangers starting tomorrow. Kameron Loe (1-3, 4.76) takes the hill for Texas, looking to rebound from a tough outing against the Yankees on May 6.

In Other News…

• Hideki Matsui broke his left wrist in the first inning of tonight’s game. Early speculation is that he’ll be out around three months. You hate to see any player go down with an injury, no matter the uniform. Here’s to a full recovery.



• Philadelphia’s Aaron Rowand made one of the gutsiest catches I’ve seen a baseball field in quite some time. With the bases loaded and two out, he ran full stride to catch a ball hit over his head by the Mets’Xavier Nady and he not only caught the ball, but he ran face first into the wire mesh fencing the Phillies have in front of the bullpen at Citizens Bank Park. He suffered a broken nose and it is not yet known how long he’ll be out.



• Jake Peavy racked up 13 strikeouts in San Diego’s 8-5 win over Milwaukee today. It was a career high for Peavy. Peavy has now strung together three very good starts in a row and seems to be settling into form after some early season worries.



• Talk about a welcome back. Ken Griffey, Jr. was activated from the disabled list today and celebrated in high style, socking a three-run, walkoff home run to lead the Reds to a 5-4 defeat of the Washington Nationals in 11 innings. The Nats had taken a 4-1 lead in the top of the 11th, only to see it squandered by the bullpen. The Reds have a surfeit of outfielders with Griffey’s return. I would look for the Yankees to call re: Austin Kearns.

With Curt Schilling staked to an early 3-0 lead on home runs from David Ortiz and Mike Lowell, it seemed as if another Red Sox-Yankees game was going to wind up as another notch in Boston’s belt.

Then someone invited the Yankees to the party.

All season it’s been said that the Yankees had pieced together an offense the likes of which hadn’t been seen in the Majors for a very long time. Up and down the lineup, they had All-Stars at seven of the nine positions, including at least two future Hall of Famers. Through the first two games of their 19-game season series with the Red Sox, however, it had yet to make an appearance, being limited to six runs over the two games. Their Boston counterparts looked like the more prodigious offense, slugging their way to 21 runs in the first two games, both Boston victories. Tonight, however, the Yankees brought their bats to the park.

The Yankees connected for three home runs on the night, including a game-tying, two-run bomb from Jason Giambi in the third inning, a go-ahead homer from “the third baseman” Alex Rodriguez, and a two-run shot from Jorge Posada. They battered Schilling to the tune of six runs on eight hits and two walks over 5.0 IP. They would finish the night with seven runs and 11 hits. All in all, it was the type of performance one expects from this Yankees offense, just not against a pitcher of Schilling’s caliber.

So what happened? You can trace the story of this game to two key at-bats.

Top of the third, two outs, bases loaded. Jason Varitek strides to the plate with a chance to add on to Boston’s 3-1 lead. Varitek, a notoriously poor hitter with the bases loaded for his career (.228 AVG, 2 HR, .618 OPS), grounded out weakly to third to end the inning. After that point, Yankee starter Mike Mussina allowed no runs and two hits over the next 3.2 IP. A team can’t allow a pitcher like Mussina to settle in, because once he gets going, he is nearly impossible to get a hit off of. The Yankees would strike back in the bottom of the frame, getting a two-run homer from Giambi to knot the game at three.

The other key at-bat came in the bottom of the fifth inning. Schilling looked like he was hitting his stride, striking out Derek Jeter and Giambi to lead off the inning. The fastball looked good as did the splitter. Then he fell behind 2-1 to Rodriguez, who deposited his next offering into the left field stands, a solo home run that put the Yankees ahead for good. Schilling came unglued after that, walking Hideki Matsui and surrendering a home run to Posada that effectively put the game out of reach.

There are some positives to take out of the game, however. Ortiz was 4-for-4 with a home run and three base hits. Ortiz had been mired in a 10-for-50 slump over the last 13 games, so if he’s starting to shake that, that bodes very well for the Red Sox. Lowell continued to hit, picking up his third home run of the season. All three home runs have come on the road. Julian Tavarez and Jonathan Papelbon both pitched well tonight, although the game was decided by the time they came in. Also, the Sox hold the lead in the season series so far, 2-1, which is not an insignificant stat. Last season, the Yankees 10-9 season series win over the Sox was the difference between the division crown and the wild card.

Tomorrow night, the Sox put Tim Wakefield on the mound against Shawn Chacon. Wakefield pitched well in his previous outing against New York this season, allowing 3 ER over 7.0 IP in a 7-3 Red Sox win. Chacon has not faced the Red Sox yet this season, but is coming in to the matchup with a three-game win streak, having allowed 3 ER over his last three starts (19.2 IP).

Josh Beckett once again proved to be the king of the jungle that is Yankee Stadium and the Red Sox got big contributions from the bottom of their order as they rolled over the Yankees 14-3 in the series opener in the Bronx tonight.

Beckett made a mistake in the first inning when he surrendered a two-run home run to Jason Giambi that gave the Yankees their only lead of the night. He would settle down after that, allowing 3 ER on 6 H with 7 SO over 7.0 IP, picking up his first win since April 16. It also reversed a skid that saw Beckett pitch poorly in his last three outings. Beckett didn’t walk a batter and Giambi’s home run and a double by Robinson Cano were the only extra base hits he surrendered. Beckett needed to go out tonight and pitch well and he did with seven solid innings against a very good offensive club.

Beckett’s counterpart, Randy Johnson, didn’t fare as well. He allowed 7 R (2 ER) on 5 H and 5 BB with 3 SO over 3.2 IP. The 3.2 IP is his second-shortest stint of the season and the 7 R matches a season-high. It marks three straight bad outings for Johnson and the fourth in his last five. Following his April 13th start against Kansas City, his ERA was at 2.25. It now sits at 5.01. The Bombers are going to need more from Johnson if they are going to be a viable postseason threat.

Tonight’s eighth and ninth hitters for the Sox delivered in a big way. Ninth hitter Alex Gonzalez worked a walk in the third inning and later scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at two. He then singled to center in the fourth and would score on Mark Loretta’s single. In the fifth inning, he took a pitch from Aaron Small and drilled to left field for a three-run home run. He would go hitless in his last two at-bats, finishing the night 2-for-4 with 3 RBI and 3 R.

Number eight hitter Dustan Mohr lead off the third inning with a single and would score on a fielding error by Alex Rodriguez. He would walk in the fourth inning and score later on Loretta’s single. He would be lifted for a pinch hitter in the fifth inning, and finished the night 1-for-1 with 2 R.

The story of the night was the fielding miscues for the Yankees. Rodriguez had two errors on the night, one directly leading to a run and the other allowing Mike Lowell to reach base. Lowell would later score on Gonzalez’s three-run home run. The other fielding miscue was Melky Cabrera’s inability to handle a pop-up to right field off the bat of Manny Ramirez. The wind seemed to take the ball from center to right and Cabrera settled under it and had it go into his glove, only to see it pop out a second later, allowing two more Sox runs to cross the plate. Of the 14 runs scored by the Red Sox tonight, only eight were earned.

Was this a statement game? Perhaps. The Red Sox offense has been disparaged up and down the line by “experts” who have wasted no time in saying this Red Sox offense can’t deliver. Tonight, they attempted to show that yes, they can. Yes, there were a lot of “gift” runs due to a rough fielding nights for the Yankees, but to their credit, the Sox took advantage of those miscues and converted them to runs. Ultimately, you don’t make statements in May; you make them in September and October.

Notes
Mike Lowell hit a pair of doubles tonight, bringing his season total to 19. Lowell’s last eight hits have all been doubles… Manny Ramirez hit his sixth home run of the season in the sixth inning off of Small… Every Sox player recorded a hit except Kevin Youkilis and Jason Varitek. Youkilis did have two walks and Varitek had one… David Ortiz picked up his fourth career hit against Randy Johnson with a double in the fourth that chased Johnson in the fourth inning. Three of Ortiz’s four career hits against Johnson are doubles.

It’s time for two old rivals to renew acquaintances in the Bronx as the Red Sox roll into the House that Ruth Built to take on their mortal enemies, the New York Yankees.

News from the Bronx today as the Yankees placed outfielder Gary Sheffield on the 15-day DL (retroactive to May 6) with a bruised left hand and recalled outfielder Melky Cabrera from Triple-A Columbus. Cabrera was hitting .385 at the time of his promotion, tied for tops in the International League. I haven’t seen a lineup yet, but I assume Bubba Crosby will start and Cabrera will be available to pinch-hit tonight.

The Red Sox got an early leg up on the season series by taking the first game between the teams last Monday, downing the Yankees 7-4 behind a four-run eighth inning, capped by a David Ortiz three-run home run off of Mike Myers. For Ortiz, it was business as usual, as he’s hitting .325 with 15 HR and 48 RBI since 2003 against New York. However, against tonight’s starter, Randy Johnson, Ortiz was 3-for-18 with 2 2B and 4 SO. Still want the Unit to dust him off Mike Vaccaro?

Josh Beckett is returning, for the first time, to the stadium that made him famous, when he pitched a complete game shutout in Game 6 to clinch a World Series title for the Marlins and World Series MVP honors for himself. Beckett is still searching for his first win since downing Seattle on April 16 in a 3-2 Sox win. He is 0-1 in his last three starts, all Red Sox losses. He’s allowed 17 ER in 16.0 IP (9.56 ERA) and has a WHIP of 1.625 in those starts. He’s also allowed 6 HR in those starts, although none in his last start against Toronto last Wednesday. He’ll need to bring his A+ game against the Bombers modern day Murderer’s Row tonight if he wants to earn a win.

Randy Johnson is also looking to rebound from back-to-back rough starts. He’s allowed 11 ER on 13 H (1 HR) over 11.2 IP in his last two starts and has walked six batters and struck out six. The Yankees offense has picked him up, however, and he’s earned wins in each of those starts. The Red Sox have struggled against left-handed pitching thus far, hitting .244 with a .753 OPS against left-handed pitchers this season.

The Red Sox hope that two hot hitters can continue their rolls as they head into the Bronx. Mark Loretta is 8-for-16 in his last four games with 3 2B and 5 R. The Sox need him to keep setting the table for the middle of the order. Mike Lowell is 14-for-29 in his last 8 games with 6 2B, 1 HR and 6 RBI. Conversely, the Sox hope that the Yankees will cure the ailing slugger and help snap David Ortiz out of his 7-for-44 skid over the last 11 games. However, three of those hits came against the Yankees, including a three-run homer that gave the Sox a four-run lead and sealed the game.

* * * * *

In other news, the International League handed down their suspension for Tampa Bay farmhand Delmon Young and the verdict is 50 games. I think this is a perfect length. It’s not the whole season, which I feel would’ve been too much, but it still sends a serious message that this behavior won’t be tolerated. The IL got it right, in my opinion.

More pitching injury news to pass along, as St. Louis’ Sidney Ponson will take a trip to the disabled list with a strained muscle in his right elbow. The Cardinals recalled Tyler Johnson from Triple-A Memphis to take Ponson’s spot. It is not known yet when Ponson will return... Washington’s John Patterson, already on the 15-day DL received an injection today to treat tendonitis in the right forearm. The diagnosis was made by Dr. James Andrews. He isn’t expected to return to the Nationals until at least May 18.

The Red Sox make their first trip to the Bronx in the 2006 season as they prepare to take on the New York Yankees. Both teams are streaking right now, with the Red Sox having won four in a row and five of their last six and the Yankees having won five in a row and eight of their last 10.

While this may “only” be a May series, that doesn’t diminish the importance of these games. Last season, both teams finished 95-67, but the Yankees took the division crown based on their 10-9 season record against the Sox. Boston holds a 1-0 advantage so far this season, having picked up a win in the series’ first game in Boston last Monday.

May series can also pack their share of intensity. If you were to script the pitching matchups for a movie or a television show, this would’ve been how you set it up. Game one featuring the Sox brash, cocky young flamethrower Josh Beckett against the Yankees elder statesman, fireballing lefty and one of the game’s best left handed pitchers ever in Randy Johnson. Game two provides the Sox brash, cocky, loquacious older pitcher, Curt Schilling versus the workman, quiet and unassuming (and pretty damned good) Mike Mussina. Game three has the Red Sox knuckleballer and longest tenured Sox player Tim Wakefield against the Yankees’ Shawn Chacon, who is sporting a three-game winning streak and is solidifying the middle of the Yankees rotation. These games may be taking place in May, but considering the pitching matchups and the teams involved, expect them to have all the intensity of an October matchup.

If you wanted to question how much these May matchups mean, you don’t have to look any farther than the back pages of the New York Tabloids.



Now, I want to focus on the back page of the Post. Today, Mike Vaccaro wrote an article that stated, in part, that the Yankees should “pick of one David Ortiz’ chins and let a little music dance across the whiskers.” Vaccaro claims he isn’t advocating the Yankees aim for Ortiz’ head or ribs, but last time I checked, the chin was located on the head. Once you start advocating this type of activity, you’re going down a slippery slope. Let’s say, for instance, Randy Johnson is sheepish enough to be prodded by an article from someone in the Post and decides to buzz the tower on Ortiz. Next thing you know, Beckett decides that Jason Giambi looks too comfortable on the plate and puts one so close he can smell the stitches. Now you have warnings issued and the inside of the plate is taken away in the first inning. Fast forward to the second inning and Johnson comes inside to Jason Varitek and puts one in his ribs. No intent, just a fastball that got away. Guess what? Johnson’s been ejected in the second inning and now the Yankees have to get through the first game of the series with their bullpen throwing innings not previously expected coming into the series. Now what happens when Moose gets into a jam in game two? Joe Torre has to let him pitch because the pen was extended in game one.

Let’s not confuse this with me saying pitchers shouldn’t pitch inside. I think a pitcher has every right to come inside and claim the inner half of the plate. But once you start asking for chin music, you’re asking for trouble. Perhaps Vaccaro doesn’t want to see Ortiz catch one in the chin or maybe he does and knows he can’t write that, who knows. But what I do know is that if Johnson were to come into Ortiz’s kitchen and hit him, it’s going to be a very ugly three games in the Bronx.

Back later to dissect tonight’s pitching matchup…

Unfortunately, due to the way the schedule works in Major League Baseball, the Red Sox do not get to play 162 games against the Baltimore Orioles.

The Red Sox downed the Orioles 10-3 yesterday to complete a three-game sweep and improved to 6-0 against the Orioles on the season. They ran their winning streak to four and finished the rain-shortened homestand 5-1.

Lenny DiNardo earned his first Major League win, which is a commendable achievement. He allowed 2 R (1 ER) on 2 H and 5 BB with 5 SO over 5.0 IP. Of the 10 non-strikeout outs DiNardo recorded, all 10 came on groundballs. This is a very interesting stat because DiNardo is a sinkerball specialist. The five walks are a slight concern because it shows a lack of control, but four came in the first inning. All in all, he did what you could expect from a fifth starter. Five solid innings, didn’t give the game away and earned a win. He probably bought himself at least one more start while the Sox wait for David Wells to rejoin the team.

Jason Varitek, a career .224 hitter (.589 OPS) with the bases loaded, gave DiNardo an early cushion by smacking a 2-0 offering from Mr. Anna Benson to right for a grand slam, the second of his career. He had a chance to duplicate former teammate Bill Mueller’s feat of hitting two grand slams in the same game from each side of the plate when he came up with the bases loaded in the sixth, but he hit a lazy fly out to left fielder to Nick Markakis.

Wily Mo Pena saw his seven-game hit streak snapped when he posted an 0-for-2 day, but he did draw a walk and drive in a run with a sacrifice fly. He is hitting .319 on the season with an OPS of .881.

Manny Ramirez drew a pair of walks, increasing his team leading total to 28. His slugging percentage relative to years past is down (this season marked the first time in his career he finished April with a SLG under .500), but his on base percentage is right on target. I think that as the season goes on, the power numbers will be there with Manny, just as they are every season.

Mike Lowell clubbed another double, his 17th on the season. What more can be said at this point? The man has rebounded nicely so far from a dismal 2005 season.

Mark Loretta is heating up at the right time as the Sox head into New York this week for a three-game set with the Yankees. He has eight hits in his last 16 at-bats with 3 2B and 5 R. He had a down year last year and got off to a rough start this season, but seems to be turning the corner.

Manny Delcarmen threw a scoreless inning of relief tonight, and it will be his last pitch with the Red Sox for a while. Following the game, Delcarmen was optioned to Pawtucket (AAA). The Sox haven’t announced who they will call up, but it will most likely be another bullpen arm. Personally, I’m curious to see what Craig Hansen can do up here, but all I can do is cross my fingers and pray it’s not Matt Ginter. Delcarmen will get his work in in Pawtucket and should rejoin the club later this season.

Around the Majors

• America’s sweetheart, Barry Bonds, hit his 713th career home run tonight when he took Philadelphia’s Jon Lieber deep in the sixth inning of Sunday night’s 9-5 Giants loss to Philadelphia. The ball hit off the McDonald’s sign on the facing of the upper deck, a mammoth blast. With Bonds now sitting one home run shy of tying Babe Ruth, look for an already intense debate to escalate as he readies to tie and pass one of the game’s most revered sluggers.
  
  
• Injuries galore in the Majors lately. Milwaukee’s Ben Sheets was scratched from his scheduled start against Los Angeles on Sunday due to stiffness in his right shoulder. The Brewers insist it is not related to the injury that forced Sheets to end last season on the DL… The Yankees’ Gary Sheffield might be headed to the DL with a sore left wrist that has limited his playing time since colliding with Toronto’s Shea Hillenbrand on April 29. A decision is not likely to be made until Tuesday, when the Yankees welcome the Boston Red Sox to the Bronx… St. Louis’ Sidney Ponson left his start against Florida on Sunday after three innings due to discomfort in his pitching elbow. Nothing was announced following the game and the severity of the injury remains unknown…. Oakland placed outfielder Milton Bradley on the DL, retroactive to April 27, after he missed nine games with a knee injury he suffered on April 25 against Texas. The A’s have not announced the corresponding roster move yet.
  
  
• In more pleasant on-field news, Johan Santana continued to revert to form with a stellar performance against the Tigers in Minnesota’s 4-2 win over Detroit. He carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning when Ivan Rodriguez lead off with a single, ending the no-hit bid. Santana finished with 11 SO over 7.0 IP and allowed 2 ER on 4 H (1 HR) and 1 BB.
  
  
• And in a tip of a cap to the “enemy” side, I salute Yankees skipper Joe Torre for picking up win number 1,000 as manager of the Yankees. It is a feat only three other Yankees managers have achieved: Joe McCarthy (1,460), Casey Stengel (1,149) and Miller Huggins (1,067). It was his 1,894th career managerial victory overall. Torre has also managed St. Louis, Atlanta and the New York Mets.
  

The Red Sox look to sweep the Orioles for the second time this season and extend their winning streak over Baltimore to 10 when they meet today at 2:05 pm. The pitching matchup today is RHP Kris Benson for the Orioles against Boston’s LHP Lenny DiNardo.

Baltimore at Boston, 2:05 PM EST
RHP Kris Benson (4-2, 3.32) - Benson will try to extend his winning streak to four today in his first meeting of 2006 with the Red Sox. He earned a win in his last start on Tuesday against Toronto, allowing 2 ER on 6 H and 2 BB with 1 SO over 6.2 IP in a 9-2 Orioles win. This will mark Benson’s second career start against Boston, the first coming in 2003 when he was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Benson allowed 8 R (7 ER) on 12 H (2 HR) and 1 BB with 4 SO in 6.1 IP in an 11-4 Pirates loss. Benson has won each of his two starts following an Orioles loss and has yet to surrender more than 4 R in any of his six starts.

LHP Lenny DiNardo (0-1, 7.36) - DiNardo will most likely be pitching for his spot in the rotation with today’s start against Baltimore. There have been rumblings that the Sox are looking at calling up Matt Ginter from AAA Pawtucket to fill in the fifth spot in the rotation until David Wells is able to return from injury. DiNardo will need to perform better today than he did last time out, when he allowed 4 ER on 6 H (2 HR) and 2 BB with 2 SO in 5.0 IP in a 9-6 Red Sox win against Tampa Bay on April 29. He earned a no-decision in that start.

Spotlight Players
Alex Gonzalez - In the last two games, Gonzalez is 3-for-6 with 1 2B and 3 RBI.
Wily Mo Pena - In his last five games, Pena is 9-for-20 with 1 2B, 5 RBI and 2 R.

What’s Next?
The Red Sox head to the Bronx to take on the New York Yankees for a three game series beginning Tuesday. Josh Beckett and Randy Johnson will square off in the first game, Curt Schilling and Mike Mussina will match up in game two and Tim Wakefield and Shawn Chacon will pitch the final game on Thursday.

Around the Majors

• The Mets suffered another loss to the rotation when it was announced that Victor Zambrano tore the flexor tendon in his right (pitching) elbow. Jose Lima will be called up from Norfolk to help an already depleted starting pitching staff that is now down three pitchers (Zambrano, Brian Bannister, and John Maine).
  
  
• San Francisco placed Moises Alou on the 15-day DL after he sprained his ankle chasing a foul ball in the third inning of Friday night’s game against Philadelphia.
  
  
• Mark Mulder picked up his 100th career victory when St. Louis defeated Florida 7-6 last night. He allowed 3 ER on 6 H and 3 BB with 1 SO over 6.0 IP to pick up the victory.
  
  

The Red Sox picked up their third straight win last night, downing the Baltimore Orioles 9-3. It’s the first time Sox have won at least three straight since winning four in a row from April 16-19. It was a well-pitched game for Tim Wakefield and an offensive explosion, including a five-run second inning that helped the Sox chase Orioles starter Erik Bedard without retiring a batter in the third. It was Bedard’s worst start of the season, allowing 6 R (5 ER) on 7 H and 2 BB in 2.0 IP.

Some odds and ends from last night’s game:

• Manny Ramirez led off the fourth inning with a tape-measure home run over the Green Monster. It was his fifth home run of the season. Ramirez was 1-for-2 with a home run and two walks on the night.
  
  
• David Ortiz was involved in one of the odder plays of the night. Bedard struck him out to end the 2nd inning, but the ball skipped away from catcher Ramon Hernandez. Ortiz took off for first and made it safely and Hernandez’s throw eluded first baseman Chris Gomez, allowing Alex Gonzalez to come home with the fifth Red Sox run of the frame.
  
  
• Gonzalez hit well again last night, going 2-for-3 with a two-run single in the 2nd. He also drew a walk.
  
  
• Wakefield allowed 3 ER on 7 H (1 HR) and 2 BB with 3 SO over 6.0 IP, earning his second win on the season. Both of Wakefield’s wins this year have come against Baltimore.
  
  
• There was a tense moment in the eighth inning when Sox reliever Julian Tavarez hit Luis Matos with a pitch. Matos took his base, but appeared to say something to Tavarez on the way to first. Tavarez motioned to Matos as if he couldn’t hear him and began walking towards first. The benches cleared, but umpires intervened and no punches were exchanged.
  
  
• Wily Mo Pena continued to hit, going 2-for-4 with 2 RBI and 2 R. His average now sits at .328 and he is going to make it hard for manager Terry Francona to keep him out of the lineup when Coco Crisp returns from injury later this month.
  
  
• After the game, Francona announced his rotation for next week’s series in New York against the Yankees. He will throw Josh Beckett on Tuesday, Curt Schilling on Wednesday and Wakefield on Thursday.
  

Some odd & ends before getting into today’s preview:

• Coco Crisp could be back as soon as May 19 for the Sox first interleague series against Philadelphia. This is a little later than expected, but his return would be welcome as the lineup will be shuffled and hopefully Francona will drop Mark Loretta to the eighth spot and slide Kevin Youkilis down to the two spot. I’d like to see Youks stay in the leadoff role, but I know Tito won’t do that, so best case scenario is Youks moving to the 2 hole.
  
  
• In that same story, it is suggested that the rotation could be juggled slightly for next week’s series with the Yankees starting Tuesday. Tuesday’s start will go to Josh Beckett who will face Randy Johnson. Wednesday’s start is Matt Clement’s, that is if the Sox stay on schedule. With the of####ay Monday, the Sox could pitch last night’s winner, Curt Schilling, Wednesday on normal rest and bump Clement’s next start to Friday against Texas with seven days rest. It will be interesting to see what the Sox do with Red Sox killer Mike Mussina slated to start Wednesday’s game in the Bronx. Thursday’s start would go to tonight’s starter Tim Wakefield, who would be on normal rest.
  

Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox, 7:05 PM EST
LHP Erik Bedard (4-1, 3.58) vs. RHP Tim Wakefield (1-4, 3.89)

Bedard is coming off a no-decision in his last start against Toronto when he allowed 2 ER on 7 H (1 HR) and 3 BB with 2 SO over 6.0 IP in 9-7 Orioles loss on May 1. He will be facing the Sox for the first time season. Bedard earned wins in each of his first four starts, going 4-0 with a 2.76 ERA. He is 0-1 in his last two starts, both coming against Toronto. Bedard is 1-2 in five games (four starts) against the Red Sox in his career with an ERA of 6.40. The Red Sox have struggled against lefties so far this season with lefties posting a 6-3 record with a 2.25 ERA against the Sox this season and have held Sox hitters to a .222 average.

Wakfield earned a no-decision last time out against New York on Monday, but with personal catcher Doug Mirabelli back, he turned in a good start, allowing 3 ER on 4 H and 3 BB with 2 SO over 7.0 IP in a 7-3 Red Sox win. Wakefield will be facing Baltimore for the second time this season. His last start against them came on April 9, when he allowed 1 R (0 ER) on 5 H and 2 BB with 4 SO over 6.0 IP in a 4-1 Sox win. He earned the win, his only win so far in 2006. Wakefield is 12-11 in his career against the Orioles.

Who’s Hot

• Mike Lowell - Continued his recent hot streak by clubbing three doubles last night and scoring two runs. Now has a Major League leading 16 doubles on the season.
  
• Kevin Youkilis - 6-for-15 in his last four games with 2 HR and 3 RBI. Has homered in consecutive games.

Who’s Not

• Jason Varitek - 3-for-13 in his last three games with one extra-base hit and no walks.
  
• Rudy Seanez - Has allowed runs in each of his last three appearances and has a 9.58 ERA and 1.94 WHIP on the season.
  

Around the Majors

• The Mets collected their second consecutive one-run win today, downing the Braves 6-5. Mets pitcher Victor Zambrano left the game in the second inning after striking out Andruw Jones complaining of discomfort in his elbow. What was odd was how he left the game. He got the strikeout of Jones, the first out of the inning, and then sprinted off the field as if the inning were over. It’s a situation to watch as the Mets rotation has already been stretched thin with injuries to Brian Bannister and John Maine.
  
  
• Andruw Jones also left that game due to injury after appearing to hurt his back on a swing against Jorge Julio that resulted in a double play.
  
  
• The MLB Players Association thinks that George Mitchell, who is heading up baseball’s investigation into steroids, is overstepping his bounds by asking for medical and telephone records from players. The union has said that Mitchell’s investigation was a “substantial disruption” in the relationship between the union and owners, according to reports out of New York Newsday and the New York Post today. With the Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire after the 2006 season, this could be a slippery slope for a league desperate to avoid any more work stoppages.
  

Late last season, Red Sox ownership presented David Ortiz with a plaque that read “David Ortiz #34 The Greatest Clutch Hitter in Red Sox History.” The plaque was a reward for time and again helping propel the Red Sox to victory with his timely hitting and was awarded to him following a game against the Angels in which he hit his sixth walkoff home run since joining the Red Sox.

Last night, he delivered a key 3-RBI double that propelled the Sox to a 6-3 win over Baltimore, adding another chapter to his ever-growing legacy.

With 2 outs in the bottom of the sixth inning and the bases loaded in a 3-3 ballgame, Ortiz stepped to the plate mired in a 7-for-35 slump and had gone 0-for-11 in his last 11 AB’s. After battling reliever Todd Williams to a full count, he blasted a double to right that allowed all three runners to score and give the Red Sox a 6-3 cushion. It was a lead they would not relinquish.

Some say there is no such thing as clutch hitting and the stats and research do back it up. For instance, there is an entire chapter of a book written by the staff at Baseball Prospectus that is devoted to that very topic. (By the way, the book is called “Baseball Between the Numbers” and I highly suggest you pick it up.) However, while the stats may suggest that clutch hitting doesn’t exist, there is something to be said for a hitter who seems to deliver time and again when it matters most, the way Big Papi does for the Red Sox. All I can say is that when there’s a big spot late in a game, there’s no one Red Sox fans feel safer with at the dish than David Ortiz.

Hey Waitress, I’ll take an order of the crow to go please.

The crow is for all the scouts who said Mike Lowell couldn’t keep up with Major League hitting anymore. All that’s been said since the All-Star Break of 2004 is that Mike Lowell’s bat is too slow and he can’t hit Major League pitching anymore. Lowell seems to be taking that logic and politely telling everyone to shove it so far this season. He’s hitting .350 in 27 games so far this season with 16 doubles, tops in the Majors, including three in last night’s game against Toronto. I’m not professing to know more than the scouts and he does only have two home runs so far, but right now, things are looking very good for Mike Lowell.

Other Observations from Friday Night’s game

• Curt Schilling earned his fifth win of the season, throwing 7.0 innings and allowing 3 ER on 8 H with no walks and 5 K. The only inning he really got hit hard was the fifth, when he allowed two runs on a pair of base hits sandwiched around a triple from Nick Markakis. He didn’t walk anyone, which is a good sign, and only two of the eight hits he allowed went for extra bases. Not his A+ game, but it was still good enough to down the Orioles last night.
  
  
• Kevin Youkilis hit his second home run in as many nights when he took Rodrigo Lopez deep in the top of the first. It was his first leadoff home run of the season and it immediately erased a 1-0 deficit. Could Youkilis be developing a bit of a power stroke to go with his already above-average eye?
  
  
• Beleaguered Red Sox shortstop Alex Gonzalez delivered a game-tying double that just managed to stay fair down the left field line that scored Mike Lowell in the sixth. Gonzalez has not hit well all season but it was a huge hit at a key time for the Red Sox.
  
  
• When Baltimore leadoff man Brandon Fahey bunted his first attempt of the game foul, he probably figured it would be a strike and he’d get another chance. What no one expected was for Mike Lowell to make an outstanding diving catch to retire Fahey. Another example while Lowell finally won his first Gold Glove last year and continues to be one of the best defensive third baseman in the Majors year in and year out.
  
  
• Jonathan Papelbon looked to be fine after a slight scare last night when he caught his cleat on the mound. He retired the first two batters he faced on two pitches, then got Corey Patterson to hit a soft fly to center to end the game and collect yet another save, his Major League leading 12th of the season.
  
  
• Kevin Millar got a rousing ovation in his first at-bat tonight. Unlike Johnny Damon, he a) didn’t join the Yankees and b) didn’t run his mouth and generally sound like an ex-girlfriend who couldn’t get over their old boyfriend all offseason. That’s why Millar was welcomed back much more positively than Damon was.
  

Around the Majors

• The Yankees went into the eighth inning of tonight’s game against Texas holding an 8-1 lead and cruising to a laugher. However, what they didn’t expect was for Texas to explode for a six-run eighth. The Yankees would hold on to win 8-7, but exposed a major Achilles heel on the team this season, the middle relief. Closer Mariano Rivera had to come on, but even he allowed three inherited runners to score. It’s a situation that should be watched.
  
  
• There was a pitcher’s duel at PETCO Park tonight in San Diego involving Chicago’s Carlos Zambrano and…Chan #### Park? Park threw nine scoreless innings tonight, allowing only two hits and four walks with four strikeouts in San Diego’s 1-0, 11-inning win. Unfortunately, Park was credited with a no-decision, but it still marks as one of the better pitching performances put together all season.
  
  
• Speaking of San Diego, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the job that Mark Bellhorn is doing out there. The former Red Sox infielder is playing any position they ask him to and has already seen time at 1B, 2B and 3B for the Pads this season and word is that they intend to use him in the OF at some point as well. He’s hitting .286 with 4 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR and 11 RBI in 24 games. He is getting on base at a .352 clip and has been a good pickup for the Padres.
  
  
• David Wright continued proving why he is one of the elite young players in the game tonight by blasting a two-out, walkoff single over the head of Andruw Jones in the 14th inning against Atlanta tonight to propel the Mets to a 8-7 win in 14. The Mets trailed 6-2 going into the 7th but were able to put together four runs to tie the game. Then in the 11th, Atlanta’s Wilson Betemit hit a solo home run to put the Braves up 7-6. The Mets answered the bell again though, as Cliff Floyd blasted a solo home run off Chris Reitsma to tie it. An overall entertaining game and perhaps a statement game for the Mets. Saturday’s game is a 1:05 start. Interesting to see how these two teams come out to play.
  
  
• The Phillies clubbed five home runs in an 8-3 victory over San Francisco last night. 2005 NL Rookie of the Year clubbed two and Chase Utley also had two of his own. Aaron Rowand was the other Phillie to homer. Utley also collected a double and raised his average on the season to .312. The Phillies have Cole Hamels lurking in the minors, waiting for a call-up and if he can come up and perform to his potential and the Phils find a way to conjure up another arm, they can be a very dangerous team in the National League.
  

The Red Sox earned a split of their two-game series with the Blue Jays by winning last night’s game 7-4. It was a one-sided affair that would’ve been even more lopsided if not for the Red Sox “vaunted” bullpen. Julian Tavarez and Rudy Seanez threatened to spoil a good start for Matt Clement (6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO). Jonathan Papelbon took the hill in the ninth one night after allowing a run for the first time all season and earning his first loss and got the final two outs on a strikeout and a weak ground to the mound. There was a bit of a scare, however, when he was facing Vernon Wells. After delivering a pitch, he appeared to catch a cleat and land awkwardly, causing everyone in the stadium (and, presumably, the Red Sox dugout as well) to hold their breath. However, it turned out he was ok and he retired Wells to end the game.

The story of the night last night was not the pitching of Matt Clement, the bullpen breakdown or Papelbon climbing back on his horse. The story was the continued hitting of Mike Lowell. Lowell was 2-for-4 last night with 2 2B, 2 RBI and 2 R. He is now hitting .333 on the season with an OPS of .911, third among AL third baseman. His .333 average is good for 11th among all qualified players in the AL and although he has only clubbed two home runs, he is tied for first in the AL with Texas’ Michael Young with 13 doubles. He seems to have taken the mantle as the team’s new Bill Mueller. A few home runs, a lot of doubles and a lot of hits. He’s driven in 16 runs and appears as if he’ll finish the season in the 80-100 range, which is more than acceptable for a hitter in the bottom third of the order. An encouraging note is that he isn’t only hitting at Fenway. He is hitting .315 away from Boston and both of his home runs have come on the road (one in Texas, one in Tampa Bay). If Lowell can keep up this production all season, he’ll more than make up for the loss of Mueller.

As far as tonight’s game, the Orioles make their first trip of the season to Fenway and with them comes former Sox first baseman and cowboy, Kevin Millar. I fully expect Kevin Millar to get a rousing ovation on his first at-bat tonight, judging from the response I saw at Fort Myers when the Orioles came in for a spring training game. The circumstances with Millar are very different from Johnny Damon. First, he didn’t go to the Yankees. Second, he wasn’t expected to rejoin the team this season. He wasn’t a great hitter and he drove fans crazy by becoming the Roger Maris of foul home runs, but all in all, he was a likeable guy and I think fans will show him their appreciation when he returns. On to the night’s preview…

Baltimore at Boston, 7:05 pm
RHP Rodrigo Lopez (1-3, 6.81) vs. RHP Curt Schilling (4-1, 2.88 ERA)

Rodrigo Lopez makes his second start of the season against the Red Sox as he looks to collect his first win since April 3rd. Lopez faced the Sox on April 9, allowing 4 ER on 8 H and 4 BB with 2 SO over 5.2 IP in 4-1 Orioles loss. He has yet to allow less than 4 ER in any start this season and has allowed 8 HR in his six starts. He also has not recorded a quality start in any of his six starts this season. From 2003-2005, Lopez was 6-5 with a 4.22 ERA against the Red Sox with an ERA of 4.22 in 16 games (13 starts). The Red Sox offense has begun to turn around and unless Lopez reverses a season-long trend, he’s in for a rough start tonight.

Curt Schilling makes his seventh start on the season and his second against the Orioles. He looks to rebound from a loss he suffered last Sunday against the Devil Rays when he allowed 3 ER on 6 H (1 HR) and 1 BB with 9 SO in a 5-4 Red Sox loss. Schilling’s first start against the Orioles this season came on April 8, when he allowed 1 ER on 3 H (1 HR) with 2 BB and 4 SO over 7.0 IP in a 2-1 Sox win. Schilling has not collected a win since April 19, going 0-1 with an ERA of 5.68 in his two starts since. Could Schilling be feeling the effects of a 133-pitch outing on April 25th against Cleveland? He hasn’t exactly pitched poorly in his last two outings, collecting 18 SO against 7 BB, but he’s allowed a home run in each start and 15 hits. If he has a start similar to the one he posted against Tampa last Sunday, he should be able to collect a win tonight.

Who’s Hot?
Mike Lowell - 12-for-26 in his last seven games with 4 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI and 6 R.
Wily Mo Pena 11-for-28 in his last seven games with 2 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI and 1 R. Also has not struck out in any of his last three games (12 AB).

Who’s Not?
David Ortiz - 7-for-32 in his last eight games with 2 HR, 7 RBI. Hitless in four of his last eight games.
Alex Gonzalez - 2-for-19 in his last eight games with 1 2B, 1 RBI.

In Other News

• Oakland catcher Jason Kendall was suspended for four games and fined and undisclosed amount while Los Angeles (AL) pitcher John Lackey was fined an undisclosed amount as punishment from a brawl from a May 2nd game.


• Baltimore catcher Javy Lopez was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to April 28, with a mid-back strain. OF Luis Matos was activated to take his place on the roster.


• Major League Baseball has reversed course and has decided to mark the baseballs hit by Barry Bonds as he closes in on Babe Ruth’s total of 714 career home runs. A marked ball will be put into play by umpires for every Bonds at-bat until he passes the Babe.

Before I start the preview of tonight’s tilt at the Fens, I want to note that Jonathan Papelbon was rewarded again today for his performance in April by being named the DHL Delivery Man of the Month. The Delivery Man of the Month is selected by a panel of judges that includes: 2006 Hall of Fame inductee Bruce Sutter; former player and manager Lou Pinella’ MLB.com writer Mike Bauman; Official MLB historian Jerome Holtzman and MLB’s VP of on-field operations (read: Discipline Czar) Bob Watson. Congrats Paps.

Thursday, May 04
RHP Josh Towers vs. RHP Matt Clement

Josh Towers (0-5, 10.45) makes his third start against the Red Sox as he searches for his first win of the 2006 season. He is 0-2 with a 6.17 ERA in his previous two starts against the Sox this year, allowing 8 ER in 12.2 IP. Towers got shelled in his last start, allowing 7 ER on 6 H (2 HR) and 1 BB in 2.1 IP against New York in a 17-6 Toronto loss. Towers has had rough outings in each start, allowing at least 4 ER in each of his five starts so far this season. He is in the first year of a two-year, $5.2 million dollar contract and doesn’t appear to be in any jeopardy of losing his spot in the rotation, but he’ll need to improve his performance if he is to be of any help to the Blue Jays this season.

Matt Clement (2-2, 6.14) is looking to rebound from a tough start against Tampa Bay last Friday that saw him allow 5 R (4 ER) on 5 H and 6 BB over 6.0 IP in a 5-2 Red Sox loss. Clement is making his third start against Toronto this season and he is 1-1 with an 8.68 ERA in his previous two starts against the Jays. Clement earned his first-ever win against the Blue Jays when he picked up the win in a 6-3 Red Sox victory on April 23 at Toronto. He allowed 3 R (2 ER) on 7 H (1 HR) and 2 BB in 5.1 IP in that start. The Red Sox are going to need more out of Clement this season than the pedestrian performance he has turned in so far. With Beckett only last five innings last night, it would be beneficial to the Red Sox bullpen if Clement could work deep into tonight’s game since the Sox have just one of####ay in the next two weeks.

Tonight's Lineups
Blue Jays
1. Russ Adams, SS
2. Frank Catalanotto, LF
3. Vernon Wells, CF
4. Troy Glaus, 3B
5. Lyle Overbay, DH
6. Shea Hillenbrand, 1B
7. Bengie Molina, C
8. Eric Hinske, RF
9. Aaron Hill, 2B

RHP -- Josh Towers

Red Sox
1. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
2. Mark Loretta, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Trot Nixon, RF
6. Jason Varitek, C
7. Mike Lowell, 3B
8. Wily Mo Pena, CF
9. Alex Gonzalez, SS

RHP Matt Clement

Who’s Hot?
Lyle Overbay – 4-for-4 with a double, a walk, 1 RBI and 2 R in last night’s 7-6 Jays victory over the Sox.
David Ortiz – Had an 0-for-5 performance last night, but is 10-for-29 with 5 HR and 9 RBI in seven games against Toronto this season.

Who’s Not?
Mark Loretta – Has two hits in his last 23 at-bats. Has six multi-hit games this season, but none since April 19. He will need to improve his production to give the 3-4-5 hitters more RBI chances.

In Other News…

• Red Sox 1B Hee Seop Choi cleared Major League waivers and will be optioned to AAA-Pawtucket.


• Cincinnati SS Rich Aurilia was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained right groin.


• Seattle RP Eddie Guardado will be removed from the closer role in Seattle. Manager Mike Hargrove says he will insert Guardado into less pressure situations in order to help him get back on track.


• Jose Contreras picked up his 13th straight win (dating back to last season) for the White Sox in a 4-1 victory over Seattle today. He also became the AL’s first five-game winner.